Farming for a Better Tomorrow: What to Expect at the 2025 Organic Food & Farming Summit

The Organic Food and Farming Summit, taking place in April 8-9 at Florida A&M University, invites farmers and consumers to explore sustainable practices and innovations within the organic agriculture sphere. The event highlights networking opportunities, expert insights, and hands-on experiences to inspire positive change in local food systems.

• Introduction to the Organic Food and Farming Summit
• Event details, including dates and location
• Significance of hosting at Florida A&M University
• Historical context and evolution of the summit
• Role of summits in driving change and building networks
• Focus on innovation and collaboration in organic practices
• Sessions addressing key topics like certification and financial planning
• Opportunities for participation from various community members
• Importance of student involvement and education
• Sponsorship benefits and opportunities for businesses

Don't miss out! Join us at the Organic Food and Farming Summit on April 8-9 at Florida A&M University. Register now to secure your spot before tickets run out. 

Chapters

• 0:05 Organic Food and Farming Summit Highlights
• 8:45 Networking Benefits of Organic Agriculture Summit
• 16:55 Promoting Sustainable Agriculture Through Networking

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Welcome to Fresh Take, where Florida Organic Growers brings you the latest insights in organic and sustainable agriculture, healthy lifestyles and the environment. Whether you're a seasoned organic farmer, health enthusiast or simply curious about sustainable practices, this podcast is your go-to source for inspiration and knowledge. In today's episode, we are highlighting a very unique and inspiring event that Florida organic growers and consumers has held over the last several years the Organic Food and Farming Summit, and I have the pleasure of speaking on this topic with our very own Juan Carlos Rodriguez, who is currently the Education and Outreach Specialist at FOG. Jc and I work very closely together and, with over 20 years of working experience in organic and sustainable farming systems, he serves in a very critical role of providing guidance and answers to farmers and agricultural service providers regarding the requirements and characteristics of organic and sustainable production systems. Over the years, he has reviewed and approved organic system plans for operations that produce crops, livestock, aquaculture and processed products in the United States, latin America, asia and Africa. In recent years, he has begun helping farmers in Florida and the Southeast region transition their farms to organic agricultural practices.

Speaker 1: 1:28

Jc, welcome to our show. Thank you, lana, it's always a pleasure to be back. It's always a pleasure to have you back and have the opportunity to speak with you, especially about this really exciting event that we have coming up in April of this year. So before we get into that, I'd just love to talk to you really quickly about your own experience coming to Fog, and you know how you stumbled upon this very role.

Speaker 2: 1:59

So and it's actually now been. I mean, when I think about it. Of course, you know time flies on and off. It's probably about 12 years or more, fog and from time to time she would ask me if I would enjoy coming and speaking to farmers or, in some of those particular cases, students, middle school and high school students, because Fog has always been involved in you know, the local community and trying to teach kids about you know where food comes from, and so I would volunteer and do that, really really enjoyed it. Kids about you know where food comes from, and so I would volunteer and do that, really really enjoyed it.

Speaker 2: 2:51

And after graduating from UF, I was working at an organic farm here in town and she, I guess, also knew of Fog and the people who at the time were working here and knew of an opportunity that opened up for a job, and so she was the one who told me about it, that open up for a job and so she was the one who told me about it.

Speaker 2: 3:11

I applied and so that's how I ended up from volunteering to being part of their certification branch, eventually moving on to Fog and working with the education and outreach team. And so it's been really for me because I'm always been very passionate about, you know, teaching and finding ways to answer questions. You know farmers questions and, of course, consumers, about organic foods and the benefits of organic agriculture. So to me, that's, you know, one of the most, you know, enjoyable you know, parts of my job. That's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. It was then, when again I first started, that we would do workshops and field days and even sort of a smaller event similar to the summit. But the summit and, in some ways, conferences have always been something that Fogg has done and as part of, you know, the mission, which is to support and promote organic, sustainable and regenerative ag. And, you know, for people, both farmers and consumers, who you know want to learn more about that, that is something that we still continue to do.

Speaker 1: 4:23

Absolutely, and you know you are a seasoned veteran, I would say, when it comes to this work, and it's something that I look up to you for and feel very lucky to be able to work with you and have you on the team. So I'm really just ecstatic. To dive a bit deeper into the importance of this type of event, the Organic Food and Farming Summit. It's back again this year. Let's talk about when exactly and where this event is happening and really why we are putting it together again.

Speaker 2: 4:59

So this year last year it was in Tampa- yes.

Speaker 2: 5:03

But this year the event is going to be held in Tallahassee. It is April 8th and 9th and we are going to have and we'll talk about it here in a minute a lot of very interesting sessions. Many of them actually have been put together based on the recommendations that we received from those people who attended, you know, in 2024. So that's another thing that we're constantly doing is wanting to hear from our, you know, constituents, the people that we are serving, the farmers and the consumers, about what it is that they interest in, what are the things that they want to sort of learn more about. So this year, once again, we're really looking forward to providing all of that valuable information to anyone who is wanting to attend.

Speaker 1: 5:56

Yes, and I want to mention, too, that this is the first summit that is going to be held at Florida A&M University, and that's a big deal. As an agricultural university and one in the capital of Florida, we have the opportunity to really highlight policy and legislature and the role that that plays in some of these topics. So that's something that I think is we're really looking forward to, and I believe Fog has been now wanting to really touch more people by moving the summit to different areas each year. Is that correct?

Speaker 2: 6:38

That is correct. Famu, florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, who has been a partner in other projects with us over the years, is where we'll be hosting the summit this year. That gives us an opportunity not only to as you were also mentioning maybe have it closer to some who live in northern part of the state, but working with FAMU is going to be something that we're obviously really looking forward to. We're going to have, you know, lots of events and speakers there. So you know, I invite everyone listening to go to our website to learn more about what are some of those sessions that you know we're going to be presenting, how to register for it now, make your reservation to attend, and just all the information that you want to find out about the summit.

Speaker 1: 7:31

Absolutely, and I want to just quickly mention that for folks listening that might have a business in agriculture or something related to that. There is also the opportunity to not only attend but to also sponsor the summit and also different parts of the programmings that we have at Fog. So we'll get into that in a little bit, but first I want to really shine the light on the significance of the summit. What is the reason that the Organic Food and Farming Summit came about and what did that first summit look like? Do you have a recollection of that?

Speaker 2: 8:08

I have a recollection of some of the yes, I do. I do have a recollection of that that first summit. But also, you know, past events, conferences and other similar meetings from the beginning, from you know, I think the early days, and some of the people listening might know, started in 1987 by farmers, like many of them at the time around the country, interested in growing organic foods, really changing the way that farming was done. Because, as we know, the conventional farming systems and food systems, even though they have allowed for farmers to produce food, there's been a lot of questions around is this really the best way to grow food? And some of the problems that you know we currently still face soil health, for example, the environment, water quality and some of these other you know challenges that farmers have.

Speaker 2: 9:14

Organic systems, organic farming systems allow to really, you know, try to address those problems in a way that what we're trying to do is is to be able to bring to farmers and, once again, consumers in various groups. Is the new information. We work closely with the University of Florida, FAMU, of course, and some of the other researchers and groups, that together we're trying to find solutions to many of these problems, and so this gives us an opportunity to bring the latest information, latest technology, give recommendations, make connections, a lot of networking. It's so interesting. Hopefully we'll hear some of these stories in the future. Interesting, hopefully we'll hear some of these stories in the future. But in our involvement with various groups over the years, a lot of people that come to these events make connections with people that they, either you know, after that event continue to be in contact with, remain friends and in some cases in fact I was just having dinner with some friends of mine met at a similar event. It wasn't necessarily a fog event, but they met there, they started dating and then they got married.

Speaker 2: 10:56

So that's some of the other things that sometimes I think happens. And it's like I was saying, making those connections, the networking piece of it, is extremely important because I think, in so many ways, all of us share a passion for, you know, organic farming, organic foods, sustainable agricultural systems, and so this is just a celebration in so many ways for us to come together and, you know, continue the work that we're doing.

Speaker 1: 11:25

So you mentioned a lot of great things that are the big highlights of this kind of event and I think event allows us to have a more updated and recent application of some of the topics that we've been discussing for years, and I think a lot of that falls into the research component and just different innovations that have come out as time has gone on. That have come out as time has gone on. So what are some of the other types of, you know, innovations or collaborations that you have seen from the summit that have really inspired change?

Speaker 2: 12:21

So, going back to the early days and some of the things that Fog, over the years, has been involved in, you know, these types of summits and events allow us even to be able to effect change and in ways that by representing which is what we do organic farmers and be the voice for farmers, can allow us to speak to the universities, the researchers often, and even sometimes, you know the Department of Agriculture, for example, and other organizations that can provide even perhaps even more tools, resources and information. For example, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, saer, was created out of a meeting that happened many, many years ago, but that farmers came together similarly and realized that there was a need for a group like SAER to try to provide opportunities, and FOG was part of those you know farmers that were attending that particular meeting. So, in my opinion, once again, you know, summits and similar to the Organic Food and Farming Summit provide an opportunity for us to get together to listen to our constituents, to try to address some of those concerns and, as I was mentioning early on, many of the sessions that you know people who come will be able to listen to came from recommendations that we received in last year's summit, so this year we're talking about organic certification and, of course, that's always a very popular topic. We want to talk about marketing your business or farmers that are growing their products and wanting to find new markets. This is a session for them. There's also discussions about digital tools and, especially in this day and age, what are some of the other ways that people can market their products. We'll be talking about organic production research. We'll bring in researchers from the University of Florida and FAMU once again and talking about the latest research. There'll be conversations about financial planning and risk management.

Speaker 2: 14:56

So another piece that is very, very, I think, important in this day and age, especially in Florida, is land access. So just a lot of different sessions and opportunities based on recommendations and seeing some of the things that, over the years, we've found are critical for for the agriculture is what we're hoping to be able to provide to to anyone who comes and joins us at the summit this year joins us at the summit this year Definitely, and I think you know you mentioned that we're taking people's feedback from prior summits to incorporate new topics, new sessions.

Speaker 1: 15:36

So it is, you know, going to be constantly changing depending on what people are looking for, and this year there's several new topics that people can expect. But we also just going back for a second and talking about collaboration, the summit, in my experience, has been a great place for people to just really connect, and, for instance, I know we met last year someone that was part of a startup that was trying to create food hubs across the state, and we connected with them for one of our grants the Backyard Market and so that created a very fruitful connection, and I imagine, several others, and so that is something that I want to highlight as one of the key benefits for attendees is this ability to network with leading professionals, farmers and advocates who are really just working on really new and innovative ideas. And so what are some of the other benefits that you think attendees can really get out of this event?

Speaker 2: 16:42

So and you mentioned it in last year's summit, that particular person was able to learn about our projects. Summit, that particular person was able to learn about our projects. Often we here at Fog are so busy every day and what we're hoping that we're able to do through, you know, this podcast and these types of events and summits is inform the general public about what it is that we're doing and how it is perhaps benefiting them. So the opportunity to learn about not only what Fog is doing but, you know, I mentioned the University of Florida, famu, and even some of the exhibitors and some of the people that are going to be there, is extremely, extremely important. So that networking piece that I mentioned earlier I think that we're both really talking about is something that I certainly always feel is, you know, very, very, very valuable.

Speaker 2: 17:37

Again, the information that we're providing, hopefully bringing to people awareness and new information about how to grow maybe you know particular crops sometimes or how to address problems with pests, weeds or diseases, is another thing that we often do through these, through these summits and educational events.

Speaker 2: 18:02

There's going to be a farm tour.

Speaker 2: 18:04

Last year there was the farm tour, was one of the highlights, as I think you might remember that we got a lot of really positive feedback this year. Same thing we're hoping to be able to provide, you know, a farm tour that's going to be exciting and enjoyable to anyone who signs up for it. So to me, you know, those are the sort of things that you know I can highlight. We're hoping also that when you listen to this particular episode, that we are talking to not just the farmers and the people who listen and the gardeners and the hobbyists, but also, perhaps, you know, the policymakers and the researchers and students. Even I was just at the University of Florida this week talking to some students there who are taking an organic and sustainable class, and they also were very interested because this brings you know or provides maybe an opportunity for them to make connections, especially those students who may be very soon going to be looking for jobs. So that networking piece is also one that I believe you really can get from attending the summit.

Speaker 1: 19:21

Yeah, and I want to just make sure that we address that this event is quite unique in the sense that it is open to really all sorts of people, like you mentioned farmers, gardeners, educators, students but really it's anyone that's passionate about sustainable agriculture can come and learn about what's going on and just be more fluent in some of these topics, in some of these topics, especially if they are someone that just resonates with practices that are better for the environment and for our bodies, and so there's just a lot to take away from this experience, and I can recall from last year's farm tour a live chicken processing demo that was really impactful, I think, for a lot of people, and just being able to see some of those steps that take place before the food lands on our plates and understanding the work, the effort, the love that goes behind all of those processes, and so that to me, I think, can be life-changing for some people.

Speaker 1: 20:28

And on our team, kathy and I, we always talk about how there is that one moment, I think, for people that can trigger them to change their thinking around food. For some people it's pulling a carrot out of the ground, for others it might be, you know, witnessing this chicken processing demo. So there's a lot of things that I think can impact folks that are attending this event in a really positive way, and especially for folks that are small scale farmers, urban gardeners and just general advocates of environmental sustainability. So, for the folks listening, what are the next steps for them to take, to get involved and to sign up?

Speaker 2: 21:12

Well, so certainly, I invite everyone listening to visit our website, wwwfoginfoorg. When you go to that page, on the main page, you will see on the top of the banner, the Organic 2025 Summit. If you click on that, you will be able to find information about this year's summit, how to register, of course, but if anyone is also who's listening and who wants to find out more, they can email us. It's also who's listening and who wants to find out more? They can email us. My email is jc at foginfoorg. If you have questions about the summit, if you have questions about the sessions, if you have questions about maybe even just learning more about how to sponsor, if you want to be a sponsor. It's something that I think we certainly would want to talk to more sponsors how to get involved, but there's a lot of information on our website. So, once again, you know, I invite people to visit our website and find more about the summit.

Speaker 1: 22:22

Yes, and I agree with that. There's a ton of information on the website, and we have a third party platform that we're utilizing this year for registrations. It's through a website called Cvent, so that includes all the information for folks to be able to sign up and obtain their ticket, and including the agenda for the day one and day two. So all of that is going to be updated as we get more and more details, and so we want to just take a moment really quickly to highlight why you might want to consider sponsoring the summit and what that might give for you and your business. So, jc, do you have any knowledge or insight as to sponsors from the past summits and what they've gained out of this event?

Speaker 2: 23:13

Certainly so. I think one of the things that is important for all of us to recognize is that without those sponsors, without the support of companies who are manufacturing and providing whether it be tools or materials or some of the things that farmers need to grow their crops or to raise their livestock none of this would be possible. It is extremely, extremely important for all of us to be involved and to work together. So I think for those sponsors, for those companies and for the people, it's one way for them to obviously support something that I think is very, very important but, at the same time, is to also inform farmers and the general public that they exist and let them know about the work that they do and what it is that they can also provide them, know about the work that they do and what it is that they can also provide to them in terms of services and tools to continue to support this mission of supporting and promoting organic agriculture.

Speaker 1: 24:22

Right, and so if anyone listening feels that you know you are definitely in alignment with that mission, this opportunity is really for you to gain visibility among highly engaged and irrelevant audience and an pages and our website and just be able to purely access and connect with event attendees and network with key players. I think is a will get at this event, and so for folks that are interested in learning more about that JC, where can they go to find out how to become a sponsor?

Speaker 2: 25:16

Absolutely so. Once again, you can go to our website and once you're on the website you can click on the section that says sponsors. So here's the link. It is foginfoorg slash sponsor and there you can find information on how to become a sponsor of this event.

Speaker 1: 25:39

Perfect. Well, I think we just touched on about everything. So we are really looking forward to you know, seeing you, hopefully to our listeners, at this upcoming Organic Food and Farming Summit. Again, it'll be in Tallahassee, florida, at FAMU on April 8th and 9th. So we are really looking forward to a brand new set of faces and speakers and all those things that will inspire and invigorate the next set of food leaders. So thank you so much, jc, for shining a light on this event and helping us, you know, spread our efforts.

Speaker 2: 26:22

And thank you so much for having me. It's always a pleasure to come back and talk to everyone. Thank you, Lana.

Speaker 1: 26:30

Thank you, JC. Thank you for tuning in to Fresh Take. If you found value in our discussions and want to support our mission of promoting organic and sustainable agriculture, consider becoming a sponsor. Your sponsorship enables us to continue offering vital programs, including this podcast. Visit the sponsor page of our website to learn more and join our community of supporters. Together, we can make a difference.